Sharks beat Dogs to stay in NRL top eight

Canterbury have refused to blame the whistleblowers for their controversial 18-16 NRL loss to Cronulla on Sunday, despite having to relive memories of `Bad Friday’.

The Sharks’ top eight aspirations received a massive boost after a Valentine Holmes penalty sealed the win in front of 19,005 at Belmore Sports Ground.

With the Sharks leading 16-10 with six minutes on the clock, they received a shot at goal directly in front after Josh Reynolds was put on report for a late hit on Holmes as he took a late attempt at a field goal.

The conclusion of the match was eerily similar to that of the Bulldogs’ loss to South Sydney on Good Friday which sparked wild scenes.

It was an important victory in the context of the Sharks’ season as they jumped into sixth, four points clear of ninth-placed Canberra, and managed to shake off the Andrew Fifita drama.

The Bulldogs gave themselves a sniff with a late Michael Lichaa try but ultimately paid for their poor discipline.

They completed just 17 of 37 sets, made 18 handling errors and were on the end of a 13-8 penalty count. They also botched several opportunities, having three tries disallowed.